by Stephen Miller
Expanding bicycle infrastructure requires political support. That means showing residents and elected officials that cyclists are not some strange, alien species, but fellow people just like them.
Photo by somervillebikes on Flickr.
Since people who ride every day are currently a small portion of the population, advocates must work with those who don’t ride bikes to show why expansion is in the local community’s best interest.
There are, of course, issue-based arguments, supported by facts and numbers. We hear these arguments all the time: cycling is good for the environment, good for public health, good for congestion reduction, and good for the bottom line. Even most bike lane opponents won’t disagree.
But there’s another line of argument that bike advocates employ less often. It’s an empathetic appeal that demonstrates that cyclists are just like you. They’re everyday citizens, getting around town. Failure to show this reality to decision makers, the press, and the public at large can have adverse consequences. In the absence of a positive or even neutral image of cyclists, an alternative, more explosive narrative can gain steam.
This negative narrative has two parts. First, because there is not much of a social contract between cyclists and other road users, it’s easy to believe that cyclists are reckless scofflaws who don’t deserve respect because they don’t give respect. Cyclists become aliens on two wheels who run red lights and play chicken with you as you try to guess their next unpredictable move. This thinking transforms cyclists into something that is nothing like you.
The second part comes into play when governments begin providing bike lanes or other provisions for cyclists. It starts to look like the road is being taken away from responsible users like you and given to a reckless minority. This is where the backlash begins, as citizens speak up against this perceived injustice.
There is an alternative to this acrimony, though. DC bike advocates are already making the case that people riding bikes are no different than anyone else, and deserve a safe way to get around.
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https://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8672/people-riding-bikes-arent-jerks-theyre-just-like-you/oldId.20110111105149888